


Can I be in your way for awhile

by La_Pacifidora



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Halloween, Halloween Costumes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-13
Updated: 2013-11-13
Packaged: 2018-01-01 09:05:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1043002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/La_Pacifidora/pseuds/La_Pacifidora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity has the <em>perfect</em> costume idea. Oliver is oblivious. Digg is amused. And Thea? Thea is a holy terror. (Sequel to <em><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/969975">True Colors Shining Through</a></em>.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can I be in your way for awhile

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to everyone who commented on and left kudos for _True Colors Shining Through_ : Your kind words were much appreciated considering it was one of my first fics in this fandom.
> 
> As ever, thanks to my Fangirl Triumvirate, Veritas724, Treble and Bex, who put up with my rambling far more than I deserve. I wrote this for them as a low-calorie Halloween treat, and then I decided to upload it here.
> 
> Title is from The Damnwells ["Kiss Catastrophe."](http://youtu.be/fnkCrU5cOb8) I own neither the song nor the characters, and no copyright infringement is intended. Any similarity to gif or photo sets is unintentional.

It starts the week following Team Arrow's unplanned trip to Starling City Center, when Oliver is applying his replacement face paint and waiting for Felicity to appear.

He glances up as he hears a noise from the top of the stairs, but realizes a moment later that it's Digg, not Felicity, as the footfalls on the stairs are much too heavy for the petite blonde.

"You need a briefcase." Digg drops the file folder Oliver forgot in the car on Felicity's desk before crossing to the weapon's chest. 

"Sure." Oliver glances down at the pot of eye makeup in an attempt to hide his eye roll. "And as soon as they start making them in a style that doesn't look like I raided my father's boxes in the attic, I'll get right on that."

"Fine." Digg shakes his head and leans down to check the strap on his backup piece on his leg. "Briefcase, messenger bag, I don't care. I'm fine with my 'secret identity' being 'Oliver Queen's long-suffering black driver'-"

"'Long suffering'?"

"But I am not going to run out to the car every time you forget something." Digg straightened and crossed to stand next to Oliver, picking up the makeup jar lid with a curious expression. "Hey, as you're already using something Felicity picked out for you, maybe she can find you a bag like the one she uses for work?"

"I'd take more offense at that statement if the rash hadn't cleared up since I started using this, and if I didn't know for a fact that she always has at least two kinds of snacks stashed in her work bag."

"My god." Digg chuckled and shook his head, crossing to the bank of computer monitors. "You two are something else."

"What?" "Who two are something else?" Oliver and Felicity spoke simultaneously, the blonde stopping abruptly at the bottom of the steps into the basement, shooting an apologetic look at her boss. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." She stepped off the bottom step and walked toward her computer desk, swinging the bag in question off her shoulder and shooing Digg away from her desk chair with her free hand. She dropped the bag onto the floor at her feet and shrugged her coat off, then laid it over the back of her chair. She glanced between the two men. "But who two are something else?" She sat in her chair, reaching blindly to turn on her computers even as she turned the chair to face into the room.

"No one." Oliver glared at Digge, who shrugged and held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. Nodding, Oliver walked to Felicity's desk and took up the folder Digg had brought in from the car. He flipped it open before laying it in front of Felicity's keyboard, shaking his head at her silent question as she spun her chair to face her desk. "Really, nothing to worry about. Now, you mentioned needing copies of the public financial disclosures for the import business I'm staking out tonight."

"Right." Felicity leaned forward, flipping through the pages. Her mouth twisted down and to one side. "Of course, this would be easier if I was starting from digital copies."

"I'm afraid Walter's assistant isn't quite that technologically adept." Oliver shrugged and pointed to a portion highlighted in pink. "But this is the relevant period, so can you possibly start looking for anything unusual from these disclosures?"

"No prob, Bob." Felicity cracked her knuckles and leaned over, tugging her bag closer, and then reached in, pulling out a water bottle and two bags, one of cereal and the other of dried fruit chips. She took a swig from her bottle, and took the mouse in hand, tapping on one of the many icons neatly organized across the multiple desktops. She didn't notice Oliver's attention drift first toward snacks then to her bag, where a brightly colored flier peeked from the interior.

"What's this?" Oliver leaned over, pulling the flier from the bag and flipped it open as he stepped toward Digg, who tilted his head closer in interest.

"What's-" Felicity glanced up distractedly, then started, her gaze snapping to the paper in Oliver's hand. She pushed up, sending her chair skittering back on its wheels, and reached out for the flier. Oliver saw her at the last moment and pulled it away, holding it over his head with a smirk. Digg caught her arm as she overbalanced and started to topple forward into them. She shook off his hand and glared at Oliver. " _That_ is none of your business. Now, give it back."

"I think it is my business if you're planning on dressing up as Robin Hood." Oliver glanced at Digg, who looked torn between reprimanding the other man and laughing at the blonde, whose entire focus was on the page fluttering gently now that the A/C had kicked on. "That might be a little too obvious."

"Who said I'm dressing up as Robin Hood?" Felicity narrowed her eyes a little as she swayed in time with the page. "Maybe I'm planning on dressing up as Maid Marian." She bit her lip as her eyes fell closed for a moment, then she took a deep breath and dared a glance at Oliver's face. From the side, she could hear Digg choke back his laughter. "Not that I am. Planning on it. Because I'm not really the Maid Marian type, least of all because I'm not planning on running off with a bow-wielding outlaw-"

"Really?" Oliver lowered his hand, glancing at the two costumes pictured on the flier. He glanced over at the blonde, an appraising expression on his face, then looked back at the flier. "I would've said it was because that dress is way too fussy, and you seem more like the Maid Marian type who'd need to be able to wield a swor- _hey_!" He gaped as she snatched the page back, now that it was within reach, before frowning down at his hand. He lifted his thumb to his mouth, staring at it for a moment, then sucked it between his lips. "Yuh gwaf muh aw pafferkwuh." He mumbled around the digit, glaring at his teammates when they started laughing.

"I what?" Felicity asked, folding the flier in half and dropping it back in her bag as she sat down again.

"You gave me a paper cut." Oliver repeated, pulling his thumb from his mouth, glancing at Digg, whose laughter had subsided into snickers.

"Aw, poor baby." Felicity waved a hand in the air as she turned back to her computers. "Want I should kiss it and make it better?" She froze, hands hovering over the keyboard, then lifted one to cover her eyes. She turned her head and parted her fingers a little to glare at Digg, who barked a laugh and immediately covered it with a coughing fit. "What I _meant_ was I'll be happy to find you a bandage, but I really think a paper cut isn't the worst thing you've ever faced."

"I know what you meant." Oliver cleared his throat, staring at the back of her head and pointedly ignoring Digg, who had turned away and was walking back toward Oliver's bow, wiping away tears mirth. He leaned over Felicity, one hand planted on the back of her chair and the other on the table at her elbow. "While I could see you as a classic folk hero, I think Robin Hood - or any other archery related costumes - might not be wise, under the circumstances." He watched as she nodded jerkily, then risked a glance at him from the corner of her eye.

"Right. No boys and arrow for Felicity." She screwed up her face. " _Bows_ and arrows. No _bows_ and arrows for Felicity. Gotcha."

***

Several days later, Oliver came to a stop next to Felicity, who stood in line at Big Belly Burger. They'd offered to go in and pick up dinner while Digg stayed with the car. He glanced down at the screen of her cell phone, seeing the black cowls and capes pass as she scrolled down.

"Just a thought: Maybe dressing up as a vigilante from another city isn't a great idea, either." He smirked when she startled and looked up at him, her expressive features set in a stony glare. 

"Any other thoughts?"

"No." He watched as she rolled her eyes and locked her screen, slipping it into a pocket on her dress. He was silent as they stepped forward a few feet, now the next to be served. "But I'll let you know if I think of anything."

***

It never failed to amaze Digg and Oliver how much noise Felicity could make when she was in a mood. They didn't pause in their sparring as the blonde stomped down the stairs, her apparent anger amplifying the sound of each step even when she reached the concrete floor. She crossed to her desk and dropped her coat and bag in the chair before spinning and walking toward the training area.

Waiting patiently at the edge of the mats, Felicity stood, her fists planted on her hips and one foot tapping agitatedly. The two men exchanged a look, then went at each other for a final grapple so they could give their teammate their undivided attention. An annoyed huff caught Oliver's attention, and Digg managed to get the best of the younger man, flipping him on his back. Immediately, Digg relaxed his posture and reached out a hand to help Oliver up. They each stepped forward, picking up towels and turning to face Felicity.

"Hey Felicity." Digg greeted her, unsure how to proceed when the blonde's brow furrowed further.

"What's up?" Oliver slung his towel around his neck, holding both ends and clasping his fingers together.

"What's up? _What's up?_ " Felicity looked to the ceiling, her lips pursed, then shook her head and returned her glare to the two men. "I'll tell you _what's up. What is up_ is _your_ sister-" Here she pointed at Oliver. "-shanghaiing me on my way down here to tell me I need to show up in costume if I'm going to be here during the Verdant Halloween party, which I didn't actually realize was a real thing that was really happening." She took a deep breath, and Digg shifted his weight back, hoping her Loud Voice wasn't about to make an appearance. "I thought the Halloween party was a cover for why I was looking for green eye makeup because it would have looked weird for _someone in this room_ to be buying it his own damn self." She glared at Oliver, who wisely took a step back as the blonde stepped onto the training mats. She wavered a little as her heels sunk into the padding, but she shifted her glare to Digg when he made as though to step forward and offer her a hand. "And then Thea tells me _you_ told her to not allow masks because, and I quote," She raises both hands to make air quotes as she glares down the taller man, "'it could be a security risk because people's faces would be obscured.' Then she tells me she can't wait to see what I come up with because _someone_ told her _someone else and his executive assistant_ would be taking the night off from all business, both Queen Consolidated and Verdant." Her glare took on an accusatory tint as she glanced between the two men. "I assume that also means we'll be taking a break from _unofficial_ business, but it would have been nice to hear all of this from, oh, I don't know, the two people I spend most of my time with on a daily basis?"

Digg and Oliver exchanged a confused look before turning back to Felicity.

"We're sorry?"

"We're sorry. We should have told you."

"Yes, we should have."

"But Thea cornered us when we got here today, and we figured we'd tell you when you showed up."

"Thea can be pretty - terrifying."

"That's my sister you're talking about."

"I know. And if I could pull off fishnets and a mini skirt, I'd be going as her for Halloween."

"OK!" Felicity threw up her hands before running her palms over her hair, pulling the skin at her temples taught and giving herself an unintentional look of surprise. "Fine. You two are incapable of standing up to a _19-year-old girl_ , and you didn't expect her to intercept me before you could tell me about the change of plans yourselves." She sighed and turned, stepping off the mats carefully and walking toward her computers. The two men relaxed a little until she called back over her shoulder. "But God help anyone who suggests I get a _sexy_ costume. I did that once in college, and I swore then: Never. Again."

***

"What about Supergirl?"

"I think if vigilantes, foreign and domestic, are out, you should probably cross 'possible alien heroes' off your list."

"There's no proof that guy's an alien."

"There's no proof he's not."

"Uh, _OK_ , Mulder."

"Hey, that wouldn't be a bad-"

" _NO_."

***

"If you shot down vigilantes and supernatural heroes, _why on Earth_ would you suggest some weird chick who's been showing up in the news around military bases?"

"I think you're missing the part where she has a _lasso_."

"Uh huh. And booty shorts, a bustier and a _tiara_."

"Oh. Does she?" 

"Nice try."

***

After eliminating a number of costumes - bow-wielding vigilantes; bat-inspired vigilantes; possible aliens; mermaid; FBI agent; tree; classic nerd; and Dalmatian - Felicity had strode into the office the Friday before Halloween with a smug look on her face. 

The morning was tightly scheduled, meaning Oliver wasn't able to question the source of her good mood until they settled at his desk for a working lunch.

"So are you going to tell me what's had you in such a good mood all morning?" Oliver nearly inhaled his salad, then turned his attention to the roast beef and Napa cabbage wrap sitting in its wrapper.

"Nothing much." Felicity finished chewing a mouthful of pasta and reached for her bottle of iced tea. "Just a little thing called 'figuring out the perfect costume.'"

"Ah. I see." Oliver looked at her expectantly. He frowned when she took an enormous bite of garlic bread, chewing it slowly. "Well?"

"Oh my _god_. Have you tried the garlic bread lately? I don't know what they changed, but it's _so good_."

"You know I limit my carb intake. And that's not what I meant."

"Uh, OK, Monica." She snorted and took another sip of iced tea. "What did you mean?"

"What's your perfect costume?"

"Why?"

"Because I haven't been able to think of anything yet."

"Uh uh. Nope. Sorry." Felicity shook her head, a skeptical look on her face. "You're on your own."

"Aw, c'mon, Felicity." Oliver set down his wrap and clasped his hands together, resting his chin atop them. "Please? Please tell me what your perfect costume is?"

"No!" She laughed and shook her head again, her expression bemused. "You can't tell me the great Oliver Queen can't come up with a Halloween costume on his own."

"Well, I've been kind of busy lately." Oliver dropped his hands and poked at the wrap, glancing across at her garlic bread before shaking his head. "Besides, I always planned to go as whatever you were going as."

"What? Why?" Felicity sputtered and felt her jaw drop a little as she leaned forward across his desk. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I knew you'd come up with a good costume, and you're my friend, so you'd let me use your idea." He paused, tucking his chin down and looking at her beseechingly. " _Right?_ "

"Sorry, pal, but you're on your own for this one." She sat back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Besides, what would you have done if I'd gone as something really girly? Like, I don't know, Katy Perry or a cupcake?"

"Aren't those kind of the same thing?" Oliver flinched when she tipped her head toward him and glared over the top of her glasses. "OK. Well, I heard Katy Perry got married."

"And divorced." 

"Oh." Oliver drummed his fingers against his desktop. "But Ryan Seacrest is still pretty well known, right? It would make sense for Katy Perry and Ryan Seacrest to hang out."

"That might be a bit of a stretch."

"And if you'd gone as a cupcake, I could have gone as a baker - or a chef!" He smiled, his gaze losing focus for a moment. "Raisa insisted on getting us chef's coats when we were younger so we wouldn't be a total mess when we helped her make cookies."

"But does it still fit you?" Felicity asked quietly, reluctant to interrupt his reminiscence.

"No, but I could've asked her where to get one that would." Oliver gave her a smug look. "Raisa would've helped me figure out a costume, unlike _someone_ I could mention."

"You're incorrigible."

"Isn't that what the nanny called that one kid in 'Sound of Music'?"

"Yes."

"I don't remember what it means."

"And, remarkably, not only do you _still_ have access to the Internet, but I'm pretty sure you also have a dictionary somewhere around here."

"Fine." Oliver sat back, picking his wrap up again and taking a bite. He chewed it slowly, then swallowed. "What about a hint?"

"You want me to give you a hint about what my amazing and perfect costume is?"

"Yes."

"No."

" _Felicity_."

" _Oliver_."

"What if I ask you questions? And you answer 'yes' or 'no.' That way it's not like a hint because I could still get it wrong."

"You're really not going to drop this, are you?"

"Nope." He watched as she toyed with her fork, then took another bite of her pasta.

"OK." She looked up at him through her lashes. "But you only get five questions, so you better make them count."

"I can work with that." Oliver leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers under his chin. "Alright. One: Is it a person?"

"Yes."

"Is it a real person?"

"No."

"Fictional. OK." He watched her quietly, looking for any tells, but she continued to eat her lunch. "Three: Is this person currently living?"

"Um." Felicity looked up through the window behind Oliver, squinting as she thought. "Well. Yes."

"Four: Does this person have a male counterpart?"

"Yes." Felicity quickly looked back down at her food, but Oliver noticed she looked a little flushed. He thought for a moment before asking his last question.

"And five: Is this person a blonde?"

"No." She chewed the last of her pasta and used a piece of garlic bread to sop up the sauce in her take-out container. She popped the bread into her mouth, then looked up at him. Her eyes widened a little as she saw him staring at her thoughtfully, then she reached for her iced tea and took a long pull from the bottle. "What?"

"I'm narrowing down who it could be."

"There's no way you are going to guess it."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"If you do, I will be shocked."

"Wanna bet?"

"I'm not going to bet you when you are so _clearly_ going to lose." She stood, gathering her trash and rounding his desk to dump it in the can at the side. She leaned one hip against the edge of his desk and crossed her arms, looking down at him skeptically. "It wouldn't be a fair bet."

"Ye of little faith." Oliver nodded and picked up the end of his wrap, pointing at her with it. "I _will_ figure out your costume, and I _will_ pick my own accordingly."

"Of course you will." Felicity shook her head before straightening and returning to her seat. "Now, let's review your two o'clock while you finish your lunch."

***

Oliver smirked as he gave Digg the address for a costume shop as he climbed into the car at the end of business Friday.

"So you finally thought of something?"

"I guess you could say that." Oliver sat back in the seat, shrugging out of his suit coat. "I figured out Felicity's costume, so now I know who I'm going as."

"What do you mean?" Digg looked back at the younger man in the rearview mirror, confusion clear in his expression.

"Well, she wasn't going to tell me what her costume was, but I used a little of my impeccable interrogation skills on her-"

"What did you do?"

"I didn't _do_ anything. I convinced her to let me ask _five_ yes or no questions; I put that together with what I know of her pop culture preferences; and now I know what she's dressing up as." Oliver pulled on his leather jacket, pulling his wallet from his trouser pocket and tucking it into a jacket pocket. "So I need a couple things so my costume will match hers." He pulled his cellphone from his suit jacket and tapped at the screen, only becoming aware of the car's lack of movement after a long moment. He glanced up to find Digg turned round in his seat, one arm resting on the center divider and a deeply confused expression on his face. "What?"

"You figured out Felicity's costume, and now you want to go buy stuff for a costume that matches hers."

"That's what I said." Oliver frowned and leaned forward, setting his hands on the same divider as he looked at his partner in concern. "You OK, Digg? Did you take a hit the other night when we got separated?"

"Y-you want you and Felicity to have matching costumes?"

" _Yeah_." Oliver spoke with emphasis but tried not to sound like Digg was being particularly dense. "Well, not exactly 'matching.' I don't want to wear the same thing as her, but I thought it'd be fun if we looked like we went together." He paused and tilted his head to one side. "Actually, if you wanted to, I have an idea for a costume for you, but it depends on how you feel about eye patches-"

"I think they're a bad idea if you have two working eyes and a pressing need to watch _your_ back." Digg shook his head as he turned back to the steering wheel and turned the key in the ignition. He waited for the sound of cloth against leather as Oliver sat back in the seat before pulling out of the parking space. "And did you tell Felicity your master plan?"

"No, I thought I'd surprise her." He could hear the smile in Oliver's voice. "We never have good surprises for her; usually, it's, 'Oh, hey, tonight you get to learn how to properly insert an IV drip.' But this will be fun."

"You got that right."

***

Standing in the basement, smoothing his black suit jacket and checking the knot in his tie, Oliver can hear the distant scrape and grind as the final elements of the party set-up are moved into place in the club above. He pats at his hair, struck for a moment by the thought that Tommy would have pulled off this costume far better - he definitely had the hair for it - but he'll do his best to make it work.

A clanging behind him draws his attention to the stairs, where Digg comes down, clad in what appears to be an historically accurate Roman senatorial robes. Oliver looks his erstwhile bodyman over critically, unable to stop the smirk that twists his lips.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Digg, but you really do have the legs to carry that outfit."

"Kindly shut up, Mr. Queen." Digg replies, crossing to the weapon's chest, where he withdraws a smaller piece than he usually carries. He shifts the aside the folds of his toga and slips the gun into a modified shoulder holster, then rearranges the fabric to conceal the weapon to the passing glance. He turns to face Oliver, who's still, for want of a better word, primping in front of the mirror. Crossing to the younger man, Digg leans against the wall next to the mirror and looks Oliver over critically, noting the butterfly closure over a shallow cut high on his cheek. "And what exactly are you supposed to be?"

"Really?" Oliver steps back, gesturing from the strands of his neatly combed black wig to his exceptionally shiny black dress shoes. "You can't guess?"

"Humor me."

"Does 'billionaire playboy philanthropist' ring any bells?"

"Oh." Diggle looks Oliver over before his eyes widen, and he straightens, glancing over his shoulder at the stairs quickly before he returns his attention to the younger man. "Oh, no. You dressed up as Iron Man."

"Well, technically, Tony Stark." Oliver shrugged. "I have a pair of those sunglasses I still need to put on, and I arranged to have a rocks glass of ginger ale ready so I can walk around with that all night."

"And you dressed up as Tony Stark because Felicity is dressing up as..." Digg trails off, his face twitching in a way that concerns Oliver.

"Because she's dressing up as Pepper Potts. I mean, it makes sense: She loves that movie, and she would appreciate the irony of dressing up as the executive personal assistant who winds up running the company." Oliver reaches into his breast pocket, pulling out a pair of dark-tinted sunglasses and placing them on his nose. "What do you think?"

"Oh, I think I need to see you next to Felicity before I can really decide."

"Fair enough. Is she-" Oliver started toward the stairs, stopping at the foot to glance back at Digg. He shifted back when he realized the other man was close on his heels. "Oh. Is she here yet?"

"Y'know, I think I heard her come in right as I was coming down here to find you."

"Good. Well, let's go. I can't wait to see the look on her face."

"Me either."

***

Felicity is beginning to regret agreeing to come to the Verdant Halloween party. Not because she doesn't enjoy a good party; she does, even if her idea of a 'good party' usually includes a little less pounding bass and a little more Settlers of Catan.

And it's not because she doesn't like dressing up. She didn't win costume competitions three years running when she attended Boskone as a student at MIT. Plus, she's totally rocking her costume tonight, even if she's considerably more covered up than most of the women entering now that the club is finally open for the night.

No, she's feeling a twinge of regret because she now understands how Thea managed to steamroll her older brother and his bodyguard. The younger Queen is a like a tiny, brunette dust storm: She appears out of the cloudless blue, makes it impossible to get away, and then fades as abruptly. She'd grabbed Felicity's arm as soon as the blonde entered, chattering a mile a minute about how fabulous the older woman's costume was and how Ollie was just going to _die_ when he saw it and did she like Thea's costume, it was cobbled together from pieces Moira Queen had worn over the years for masquerades, could she believe it? The teen towed Felicity along to a VIP booth, urging her sit before signaling to a waiting server and instructing the blonde to place her order before the bartenders got swamped. Felicity opened her mouth to protest the special treatment, but Thea had already waved and hustled off to check with the DJ, the bustle of her dress bouncing along as she walked.

With a sigh, Felicity turned to the waitress and ordered a glass of the house shiraz, then turned and settled into the plush booth to watch the stream of club goers entering and preening in their costumes. A few moments later, she thanked the waitress for her drink and ran her finger along the front edge of her dark wig, flicking the long black strands over her shoulder before taking a sip. She had started a mental catalogue of the different slutty costumes (So far, she was at 12, including everything from 'slutty Southern belle' to 'naughty librarian.') when she heard her name over the din of music and laughter. She set her drink down and stood, craning her neck until she spotted Digg. She jumped up and down, waving her arm till he caught sight of her. As he approached, she tugged on the sleeves of her black dress and grinned.

"Wow, Digg!" She looked him over as he entered the booth, giving a low whistle. "Lookin' good, John."

"Thanks, Felicity." Digg looked her up and down, a chuckle escaping. "And you're looking pretty killer yourself." He smiled as she snorted and smacked his arm.

"You've hit your pun limit for the night." She shook her head and reached down, twitching the flared skirt of her dress so it lay correctly. "Carly is not going to put up with any of your puniness, either."

"Carly?" Digg frowned and stepped closer, filling her vision as he leaned down to speak in her ear. "She's coming?"

"Yeah." Felicity blinked confusedly. "Didn't Thea ask you? She caught me the other week and asked if I thought you'd mind if she invited 'Mr. Diggle's lady friend.'" She made air quotes, one brow raised as she repeated the younger Queen.

"No." Digg groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "She didn't ask." He sighed and shrugged. "Do you know what she's coming as?"

"No, I don't. Sorry." Felicity bit her lip and crossed her arms. "She said she wasn't sure the last time I saw her." She leaned over a little. "So, where's our illustrious leader?" She frowned and looked at Digg askance when he chuckled and stepped back, gesturing at the crush of partiers on the dance floor. 

"He was right behind me, but you know how people want to see him." Digg scanned the crowd, then leaned in and pointed to a group of young women in neon-colored club dresses, each wearing a pair of butterfly wings and a possibly excessive amount of body glitter. Felicity nodded, though she couldn't make Oliver out in the group, and turned back to her friend as they sat and chatted about their respective costumes.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, but everyone wants a piece of m-" Oliver stopped abruptly as he jogged up the few steps into the booth and caught sight of Felicity, who flipped her long black hair over a shoulder. "Wh-what are you wearing?"

"My costume." Felicity stood and turned in a circle, fast enough that the flounces of black satin flared out around her knees. She stopped and planted her hands on her hips, which coincidentally spread the V-neck of her mermaid dress a little wider. The strands of her long black wig came to rest against her shoulders, and she pursed her dark red lips. "Why? What were you expecting?"

"Not this." Oliver gestured toward her, then toward himself. "I thought you were coming as Pepper Potts, which is why I came as Tony Stark."

" _Shyeah._ " Felicity scoffed, crossing her arms as she stepped forward, standing toe-to-toe with Oliver. She glanced at Digg as he poorly hid his laughter, but focused her glare on her real-life billionaire playboy philanthropist vigilante. "Because dressing up as the personal assistant who later becomes her billionaire boss' girlfriend wouldn't send the wrong message about our professional relationship _at all._ "

"But she gets to run the company!" Oliver crossed his arms as well, leaning forward with a mulish expression.

"And what they _don't_ show you are all the nasty headlines where people speculated about why she got the mother of all promotions."

"That's-" Oliver blinked, his mouth opening and closing silently for a moment as he tried to form a reply. "That's because Tony wouldn't let people badmouth her."

"I don't think it's really practical for Tony Stark or Iron Man to spend valuable villain-fighting time tracking down everyone who makes a snide remark about Pepper sleeping her way to the top." Felicity dropped her arms and her gaze, twisting her hands together. "There'd be too many people to threaten, and it wouldn't be an efficient use of his time."

"Maybe he should be the judge of that." Oliver replied after a long moment of silence where he also relaxed and watched the way his blonde genius was running a red thumbnail along the seam on her sleeve. "It wouldn't be a waste of time, and between the two of them, they could probably come up with a more efficient way for him to put the fear of God into them." He smiled a little when Felicity glanced up at him and smirked in return. 

"Oh my _god_ , I didn't know you guys were doing a couple's costume!" Thea interjected as she came bouncing back into the booth, Roy following in an old-fashioned coat, puffy shirt, breeches and a sullen expression. She wrapped both arms around one Oliver's, squeezing it as she rested her chin on his shoulder and grinned up at him.

"I see you raided Mom's costume closet in the attic." Oliver raised a hand to poke at the tiny hat and antique driving goggles perched on his sister's head. "And it's not a couple's costume. I thought we could both be characters from _Iron Man_ , but I misunderstood Felicity's plan."

"What are you talking about?" Thea leaned back, glancing between her brother and the blonde in confusion. She patted Oliver on the shoulder, her tone a little patronizing. "You guys are totally in a couple's costume, and I wish you'd told me. I was going to have you emcee the costume competition, but it'll be so much better to have _both_ Gomez and Morticia Addams on stage than just my stodgy brother who picked a 'costume' where he could still wear a suit." She shook her head, then spun to face her boyfriend. "C'mon, we need to check on the bar before the competition starts. We'll be back later; don't go anywhere!"

Oliver and Felicity watched his sister leave, then turned to face each other again.

"You don't look anything like Gomez Addams." 

"I know. Clearly I failed in Thea's movie education." Oliver removed the sunglasses, folded them and replaced them in his breast pocket. He shook his head and gestured to the bench seat. He sat next to Felicity, looking past her to Digg, who was nursing a couple fingers of an amber liquor and laughing quietly. "What?"

"Nothing." Digg looked up at his two teammates, who had nearly identical frowns on their faces. "Really, it's none of my no nevermind."

"Digg, c'mon." Felicity shifted, unconsciously adopting a similar posture to Oliver's. "What's so funny?"

"Well." He glanced out at the crowd on the dance floor, then looked back at his friends. "I'm only wondering how many people manage to come up with a couple's costume without even planning it out first." He shook his head and downed the rest of his drink, then stood and headed for the bar. Halfway there, he bumped into a woman in a modified sheath dress and a gold-colored headdress. She turned, and Digg's surprise at seeing Carly as Cleopatra was mirrored on Felicity and Oliver's faces.

"Now who's managing to come up a couple's costume without checking with the other person?" Felicity wondered aloud, her lips drawn to one side in a wry smile as she reached for her wine.

"I know." Oliver shook his head and huffed. "They match more than we do."

"I know."

"Exactly." He glanced over at her. "I do like your costume, by the way. I'm sorry if it seemed like I didn't."

"Thanks." She smoothed a hand over the fitted portion of her skirt. "For what it's worth, you looked a lot like Robert Downey Jr. with the glasses and everything." She gestured at her own chin as she nodded at him. "The facial hair really sells the Tony Stark bit."

"Thanks." Oliver studied her profile. "I don't know about your natural hair color, but I think blonde suits you better than black hair."

"Yeah." Felicity sighed, running her fingers through the end of the wig. "I actually had a Goth phase in high school, but it wasn't really my forte." She started when Oliver took her free hand in his and lifted her arm, tilting her wrist toward his face.

"Tish! That's French!"

"Cut it out." She laughed and tugged her arm free, letting her hand fall to the cushion between them as she sipped her wine. She shook her head and settled back on the bench, oblivious to the arm he laid across the back of the seat. She glanced at him and snorted, then looked out over the crowd, nodding absently when he responded quietly.

"As you wish."


End file.
